Details Emerge On The Character Of Nice Attack Perpetrator

The picture emerging Friday of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who killed 84 people Thursday when he drove a truck through a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, is one of a man who was an unhappy loner going through the dissolution of his marriage.

Although he was known to French authorities for crimes including theft, neither French nor Tunisian authorities said the 31-year-old was on their terrorism radar. Police and the media also found no immediate evidence of any strong link between Bouhlel and religion.

French media outlet Nice Matin reported Friday that Bouhel was divorced with three children and worked as a delivery driver.

Britain’s The Telegraph reported that Bouhlel was a solitary person and, according to French sources, had become depressed after his divorce.

“He was rude and bit weird,” said Jasmine, 40, who lived near Bouhlel in Nice. “He kept himself to himself but would always rant about his wife. He had martial problems and would tell people in the local cafe. He scared my children though.”

A neighbor, Anan, called Bouhlel shifty and said he was “a good-looking man who eyed up my two girls too much.”

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A woman living in the same block who did not give her name was quoted as saying, “I hardly knew him, but from what I could see he seemed very weird. He lived alone. He said very little to anyone and wasn’t very polite. He wouldn’t hold the door open for you.”